Los Angeles/Inglewood, CA - Media Reviews

Def Leppard fans get rocked in Phoenix By Ed Masley

"When perpetually shirtless guitarist Phil Collen checked in from the road to talk about the tour that brought Def Leppard to Ak-Pavilion in Phoenix Wednesday, he was thrilled to report that the self-titled album they’ll be dropping in October, their first studio release in seven years, is “the best thing we’ve done since ‘Hysteria.’”

And as the PA blasted AC/DC songs before their set, the giant screens that flanked the stage bore a message proclaiming “The highly anticipated new album coming fall 2015, www.defleppard.com.”

Joe Elliott even talked about the album.

But the set list put the focus squarely on the staples that make Collen’s claim that this new album is their strongest effort since “Hysteria” the sort of thing Def Leppard fans would want to hear.

They set the tone with the glam-metal swagger of “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop),” a mission statement that kicks off “Pyromania” that proved the first of several songs about how good it is to rock, including a perfectly credible take on David Essex’s glam-years classic “Rock On.” And they kept it in the ‘80s as they made their way through “Animal” and “Let It Go,” which showcased both guitarists, Vivian Campbell’s wah-guitar lead giving way to Collen’s flashy pyrotechnics. A muscular “Foolin’” launched a mini-set of power ballads, with the screen behind them showing images of war on “Paper Sun” and the audience singing along to the U.K. rockers’ highest-charting U.S. single, “Love Bites" (although it was among the only moments in the 90-minute set where Elliott appeared to struggle with pitch on the high notes).

Another “Hysteria” single, “Armageddon It,” was followed by a showcase for bassist Rick Savage, during which I wrote “It sounded like a David Essex cover,” which is what it soon turned into, Elliott donning a Bolan-esque top hat to make it feel more early ‘70s.

It was after “Rock On” that Elliott, who first made mention of the Phoenix weather two songs in, turned his attention to the changing seasons. “First day of fall,” he said. “Bulls—t! Where I come from, you’d be freezing your (expletives) off right now.” And with that, he was off on a solo acoustic rendition of “Two Steps Behind,” an early ‘90s hit, with the audience singing along. It was the perfect setting for that song, the stripped-down arrangement adding to the heartfelt nature of the vocal.

A suitably raucous rendition of “Rocket,” with its references to Lou Reed, Ziggy Stardust, “Sgt. Pepper,” Elton John and Jumpin' Jack Flash, was followed by Campbell and Collen soaring their way through the twin-guitar intro of another epic power ballad, “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak.” The instrumental “Switch 625” from “High ‘N’ Dry” turned out to be the launching pad for an impressive show of force from one-armed drummer Rick Allen. And from there, they brought the concert to a climax with “Hysteria” (backed by a nostalgic slide show of old photos and video), “Let’s Get Rocked” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me.”

That left two massive early hits unplayed, which made the encore no surprise at all, as they returned and treated fans to “Rock of Ages” and “Photograph,” bringing the night to a triumphant close.

By Arizona Republic 2015.

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